--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Why be formal when you can be fabulously…" description: "\"Why be formal when you can be fabulously feral? Why be conventional when you can be happy?\" — Simon Doonan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/364/simon-doonan-27332_conventional_why-be-formal-when-you-can-be-fabulously_2943297.png" --- # Why be formal when you can be fabulously feral? Why be… ![“Why be formal when you can be fabulously feral? Why be conventional when you can be happy?” quote by Simon Doonan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/364/simon-doonan-27332_conventional_why-be-formal-when-you-can-be-fabulously_2943297.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/364/simon-doonan-27332_conventional_why-be-formal-when-you-can-be-fabulously_2943297.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/364/simon-doonan-27332_conventional_why-be-formal-when-you-can-be-fabulously_2943297.png) > “Why be formal when you can be fabulously feral? Why be conventional when you can be happy?” [Simon Doonan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-doonan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Encourages breaking norms and embracing wild authenticity over rigid formality. **In simple terms:** Be wild, not stiff. Key Takeaway Choose freedom over convention. Themes individualism creativity authenticity Mood playful defiant Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - personal style - social gatherings - creative projects Key Concepts self‑expression social norms identity Questions to Reflect On - What would you do if you shed all expectations? - How does embracing wildness affect relationships? A Different Perspective May alienate those who value tradition. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conventional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conventional/) [Conventional Happy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conventional-happy-405470/) [Fabulously Feral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fabulously-feral-4399014/) [Feral Conventional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feral-conventional-4399015/) [Formal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/formal/) ## Related quotes > [I have an instinctual distrust of conventional happy endings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin-2/i-have-an-instinctual-distrust-of-conventional-happy-endings/) [George R. R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin-2/) > [My father was in real estate, banking, and land management. As family life, it was very conventional, happy, and comfortable. We weren't wealthy, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-child/my-father-was-in-real-estate-banking-and-land-management-as-family/) [Julia Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-child/) > [Currency speculation-over a trillion dollars a day-is a tax-free activity. The notion of a tax on "day trades" or other speculative swaps was revived…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-kierans/currency-speculation-over-a-trillion-dollars-a-day-is-a-tax-free/) [Eric Kierans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-kierans/) > [Nobody can live in society without conventions. The reason why sensible people are as conventional as they can bear to be is that conventionality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/nobody-can-live-in-society-without-conventions-the-reason-why/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [“Can you make me remember the conventional way?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-ellen-malpas/can-you-make-me-remember-the-conventional-way/) [Jodi Ellen Malpas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-ellen-malpas/) > [The vision of extraordinary achievement is,by definition, a few steps beyond consensus and conventional logic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-belsky/the-vision-of-extraordinary-achievement-is-by-definition-a-few-steps/) [Scott Belsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-belsky/) > [Some days, I think maybe we should try and be a little more conventional, but every time I try, I fail, so I'm learning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seinabo-sey/some-days-i-think-maybe-we-should-try-and-be-a-little-more/) [Seinabo Sey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seinabo-sey/) > [What's different now is that while political leaders used to give talking points to talk radio, now talk-radio hosts are giving talking points to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-avlon/what-s-different-now-is-that-while-political-leaders-used-to-give/) [John Avlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-avlon/) > [I think you will learn to be natural with me, as I find it impossible to be conventional with you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/i-think-you-will-learn-to-be-natural-with-me-as-i-find-it-impossible/) [Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [Our Christian faith is actually very subversive of the conventional notion of success - the notion that what invests a person with worth is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/our-christian-faith-is-actually-very-subversive-of-the-conventional/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [Because investors are not usually penalized for adhering to conventional practices, doing so is the less professionally risky strategy, even though it virtually guarantees…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-klarman/because-investors-are-not-usually-penalized-for-adhering-to/) [Seth Klarman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-klarman/) > [Contrarian thinking at its best simply asks, Is this really true? It speaks up when the politically correct answer or the conventional wisdom doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-osborne/contrarian-thinking-at-its-best-simply-asks-is-this-really-true-it/) [Larry Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-osborne/) > [Conventional agriculture has never succeeded in feeding the world, and it's never produced anything good to eat. For the future, we need to look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-barber/conventional-agriculture-has-never-succeeded-in-feeding-the-world-and/) [Dan Barber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-barber/) > [A language possesses utility only insofar as it can construct conventional boundaries. A language of no boundaries is no language at all, and thus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-wilber/a-language-possesses-utility-only-insofar-as-it-can-construct/) [Ken Wilber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-wilber/) > [Whether you are buying a car or casting a ballot, choosing a job or planning a family, follow your moral compass. Don't let others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-hayes/whether-you-are-buying-a-car-or-casting-a-ballot-choosing-a-job-or/) [Denis Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-hayes/) ## More by Simon Doonan > [All over America, people are making kamikaze choices about what to wear. They are misrepresenting the goods. They are letting their clothes write checks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-doonan/all-over-america-people-are-making-kamikaze-choices-about-what-to/) [Simon Doonan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-doonan/) > [Knowing who you really are and dressing the part -- with an air of amused recklessness -- is life affirming for you and life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-doonan/knowing-who-you-really-are-and-dressing-the-part-with-an-air-of/) [Simon Doonan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-doonan/) > [“An exaggerated sense of occasion, or any sense of occasion, for that matter, will automatically impede your ability to have fun. Conversely, a well-cultivated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-doonan/an-exaggerated-sense-of-occasion-or-any-sense-of-occasion-for-that/) [Simon Doonan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-doonan/) > [Why the hell wouldn't you want to be one of the fabulous people, the life enhancers, who look interesting and smell luscious and who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-doonan/why-the-hell-wouldn-t-you-want-to-be-one-of-the-fabulous-people-the/) [Simon Doonan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-doonan/) > [Conformity is the only real fashion crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-doonan/conformity-is-the-only-real-fashion-crime/) [Simon Doonan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-doonan/) > [“Gay men are French women...with penises.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-doonan/gay-men-are-french-women-with-penises/) [Simon Doonan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-doonan/) > [The message of a leopard-print jumpsuit is clear: 'I am a huntress who delights in eating the offal of her prey.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-doonan/the-message-of-a-leopard-print-jumpsuit-is-clear-i-am-a-huntress-who/) [Simon Doonan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-doonan/) > [I don't want a politician who's thinking about fashion for even one millisecond. It's the same as medical professionals. The idea of a person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-doonan/i-don-t-want-a-politician-who-s-thinking-about-fashion-for-even-one/) [Simon Doonan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-doonan/) > [“She had always enjoyed the carte blanche accorded to mobsters, aristocrats, circus clowns, and lunatics”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-doonan/she-had-always-enjoyed-the-carte-blanche-accorded-to-mobsters/) [Simon Doonan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-doonan/) > [The charming shall inherit the Earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-doonan/the-charming-shall-inherit-the-earth/) [Simon Doonan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-doonan/) > [“Red is wild. She is unsettling. She intrigues. Wear red and other women will assume that you are a predatory vixen who is out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-doonan/red-is-wild-she-is-unsettling-she-intrigues-wear-red-and-other-women/) [Simon Doonan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-doonan/) > [“If there is such a person on the planet, then he or she—this self-appointed arbiter of “appropriateness”—deserves to be confronted with as many “inappropriate”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-doonan/if-there-is-such-a-person-on-the-planet-then-he-or-she-this-self/) [Simon Doonan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-doonan/) > [ “When you don the pelt of a particular animal--snake, beaver, marmoset--the effect on the viewer is dramatic \[...\]. You will instantly and shockingly be… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-doonan/when-you-don-the-pelt-of-a-particular-animal-snake-beaver-marmoset/) [Simon Doonan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-doonan/) > [Wearing a pair of yellow shoes does not make you an interesting person, that is of course unless you've just murdered someone in them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-doonan/wearing-a-pair-of-yellow-shoes-does-not-make-you-an-interesting/) [Simon Doonan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-doonan/) > [“Apply extreme caution when wearing red in the workplace. Even a simple demure red outfit -- a cashmere twinset -- can turn you into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-doonan/apply-extreme-caution-when-wearing-red-in-the-workplace-even-a-simple/) [Simon Doonan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-doonan/) [Explore all 20 Simon Doonan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-doonan/) ## More Conventional quotes > [Whether you are buying a car or casting a ballot, choosing a job or planning a family, follow your moral compass. Don't let others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-hayes/whether-you-are-buying-a-car-or-casting-a-ballot-choosing-a-job-or/) [Denis Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-hayes/) > [A language possesses utility only insofar as it can construct conventional boundaries. A language of no boundaries is no language at all, and thus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-wilber/a-language-possesses-utility-only-insofar-as-it-can-construct/) [Ken Wilber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-wilber/) > [Conventional agriculture has never succeeded in feeding the world, and it's never produced anything good to eat. For the future, we need to look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-barber/conventional-agriculture-has-never-succeeded-in-feeding-the-world-and/) [Dan Barber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-barber/) > [Contrarian thinking at its best simply asks, Is this really true? It speaks up when the politically correct answer or the conventional wisdom doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-osborne/contrarian-thinking-at-its-best-simply-asks-is-this-really-true-it/) [Larry Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-osborne/) > [Because investors are not usually penalized for adhering to conventional practices, doing so is the less professionally risky strategy, even though it virtually guarantees…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-klarman/because-investors-are-not-usually-penalized-for-adhering-to/) [Seth Klarman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-klarman/) > [My father was in real estate, banking, and land management. As family life, it was very conventional, happy, and comfortable. We weren't wealthy, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-child/my-father-was-in-real-estate-banking-and-land-management-as-family/) [Julia Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-child/) > [Our Christian faith is actually very subversive of the conventional notion of success - the notion that what invests a person with worth is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/our-christian-faith-is-actually-very-subversive-of-the-conventional/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [I think you will learn to be natural with me, as I find it impossible to be conventional with you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/i-think-you-will-learn-to-be-natural-with-me-as-i-find-it-impossible/) [Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [What's different now is that while political leaders used to give talking points to talk radio, now talk-radio hosts are giving talking points to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-avlon/what-s-different-now-is-that-while-political-leaders-used-to-give/) [John Avlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-avlon/) > [Some days, I think maybe we should try and be a little more conventional, but every time I try, I fail, so I'm learning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seinabo-sey/some-days-i-think-maybe-we-should-try-and-be-a-little-more/) [Seinabo Sey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seinabo-sey/) > [The vision of extraordinary achievement is,by definition, a few steps beyond consensus and conventional logic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-belsky/the-vision-of-extraordinary-achievement-is-by-definition-a-few-steps/) [Scott Belsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-belsky/) > [“Can you make me remember the conventional way?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-ellen-malpas/can-you-make-me-remember-the-conventional-way/) [Jodi Ellen Malpas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-ellen-malpas/) > [Nobody can live in society without conventions. The reason why sensible people are as conventional as they can bear to be is that conventionality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/nobody-can-live-in-society-without-conventions-the-reason-why/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [Currency speculation-over a trillion dollars a day-is a tax-free activity. The notion of a tax on "day trades" or other speculative swaps was revived…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-kierans/currency-speculation-over-a-trillion-dollars-a-day-is-a-tax-free/) [Eric Kierans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-kierans/) > [Fear is a problem with film music and films; people want to be conventional, and there's more commercialism today. If you are not daring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-north/fear-is-a-problem-with-film-music-and-films-people-want-to-be/) [Alex North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-north/) [Browse all 742 Conventional quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conventional/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Why be formal when you can be fabulously feral? 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